


Undeniable

by bravevesperian



Category: Tales of Vesperia
Genre: Anal Sex, Angst, Fluff, Fluri, Hair-pulling, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-04
Updated: 2018-06-05
Packaged: 2019-05-18 06:01:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14847143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bravevesperian/pseuds/bravevesperian
Summary: Yuri takes all of the secrets he's carrying with him on a forced sabbatical to Aurnion. No one told him that Flynn would be there, or that they were being set up-- but is it a set up for what he thought, or something else entirely?





	1. Aurnion

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Vax (soulstice)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/soulstice/gifts).



Aurnion was perhaps, more equipped to handle the state of the "new" world than almost anywhere else in Terca Lumireis. The residents had had more time before the final battle than the rest of the world to prepare for life without the help of blastia. That seemed to have put them ahead of the curve, sure, but such a drastic change in lifestyle was not met nearly so positively in the rest of the known world. 

The use of magic had been a part of the fabric of their society for as long as it had existed, and now it was just humanity against the elements-- and the monsters beyond the cities. The world turned to their heroes for guidance, but without the familiar use of their bodhi blastia, even they could only do so much. 

Yuri found himself getting tired more quickly than ever these days. He knew there was no point in trying to explain it: they were all adjusting to the same changes. He'd only come to the Northeast point of Hypionia after Estelle had convinced him that he could do more good there than he could working himself to exhaustion in the capital-- at least for a little while. 

Brave Vesperia was busier than ever, especially now that the various settlements both in the Empire and beyond relied on the guilds to patrol their borders and protect their settlements when the knights were overworked. Even Karol signed off on his 'reassignment' though Yuri had sulked and accused them all of trying to put him out to pasture. 

He hadn't been back since the final battle, and he wasn't all that surprised to find that the town had changed quite a bit yet again. There were children playing around the non-functional shield blastia-- which was new. All in all, it was lively and with Repede at his heels, he almost couldn't feel the constant nag of the emptiness in his chest. 

Rather than make himself known, he went to the docks and sat, leaning against the curve of Repede's back for support. The warmth was grounding and familiar. Without the others around, he could sink into his thoughts-- what most other people could never imagine being a luxury as it was to him. Yuri didn't let himself sink too far for fear of those who knew him just a little too well noticing the crease in his brow or the purse of his lips. 

Yuri was known for being more mature and grounded than most of the rest of his party put together if not a bit blatantly reckless. It wouldn't do for his public image to make it too obvious that he struggled so much beneath the surface. 

His last conversation with Flynn's lieutenant still burned brightly in his mind though he played convincingly at apathy in its wake. It was over. He'd said he wouldn't let it go-- and he planned not to, but he was really more furious with Sodia's impotence when it came to following through than he was with the fact that she had tried to kill him. Any normal person would've been angry and frightened at the prospect of being the subject of an attempted murder-- but Yuri cared more about Flynn than he ever had about himself. 

She was right, really. If it had been him in her place, as Flynn's second in command, he'd have killed to protect him-- 

The thought was simultaneously laughable and it felt like something twisted in his chest. In some other life, maybe he was that. Maybe if he hadn't been so very... Yuri, he might have been able to be a useful person to him. He'd hated authority and conforming from the beginning so that never could've happened, but the possibility hovered in his mind with all of the temptations of gald in front of a poor man. 

Yuri cast his eyes down to the cool water flowing beneath his dangling feet and put his face in his hands. It was only for a few moments, and his iron grip on his self-control returned. He didn't have time to let these things torment him. He was needed. The busier he stayed, the less time he had for thinking about these things that he wished would simply disappear from his mind. Yuri's own wants and desires were something he was grossly inexperienced at grappling with. Ignoring them had always been easier. He spent his time focusing on the needs of the community instead. 

Everything had changed so much-- but just as much was still the same. 

Yuri could change everything. He could tell Flynn what had really happened at Zaude-- but what good would that do? It would destroy the trust he had put in his men, and possibly his own confidence as acting commandant. It was a risk that the co-leader of Brave Vesperia was not willing to take. 

Repede whined and shifted, but Yuri didn't pay much attention to it. He had gotten rather lost in his own thoughts at that point. There were other things he could've wandered down the dark corridors of in his mind, but he didn't have the chance. Repede's weight abandoned him entirely as the dog got to his feet and bounded in a circle, leaving Yuri sprawled on his back. He saw Repede retreat up the dock, and a pair of greaves came into view along with him a moment later. 

No one had mentioned that Flynn was in Aurnion. He had been sure that he'd be busy with everything going on in the capital like he had been for ages-- and he looked just as surprised to see Yuri laying on the ground in front of him as Yuri was to see him.

"Yuri? When did you arrive?" Flynn's brow raised as he approached, tucking the file he was carrying under his arm. "Hey Repede,"

"Just got here. Nobody told me you were here." He said, frowning as he pushed himself up. 

"Lady Esteliese said that I was needed direly but... things seem to be running quite smoothly. Perhaps there was some misunderstanding?" Flynn responded, clearly puzzled.

Yuri got to his feet as Repede danced on his toes, excited to see both of his favorite people in the same place for a change, but Yuri thought back to the conversation he'd had with Estelle himself. 

"Yeah... s'weird. Her and Rita twisted my arm. Said if I didn't go and relax they were pulling me off of the Lower Quarter's reconstruction project entirely. They could'a sent me to Halure or anywhere but they kept insisting Aurnion was best..." He swept a hand back through his thick hair, a soft scoff on his lips. 

"Sounds like we got set up." 

"They're off to another expedition at Zaude, aren't they? Talk about a pot calling the kettle black." Flynn teased gently. 

Yuri rolled his shoulder in a lazy shrug, mood slightly soured (as if it hadn't been already on its own.) He realized easily that that sort of trip for those two was probably more like a vacation than anything. He remembered their last uncomfortable "friendly" discussion about love and-- 

"They are _so_ gonna be on my shit list when I get back..." Yuri complained. Repede yipped as though to chastise him and Flynn rubbed at the back of his neck. 

"Well. We're here now, so why don't we at least do a proper patrol and see if they need anything here? It's the least we can do." Flynn offered a bit weakly. 

"Yeah, yeah. Work, work, work." Yuri complained in response, and Flynn looked overly worried immediately-- as though he was genuinely worried that Yuri would refuse to accompany him. 

It didn't go unnoticed. Flynn had never been terribly good at hiding what he was feeling, least of all where Yuri was concerned. 

Without any further protest, Yuri fell into step with the Commandant and Repede followed on their heels. Yuri let Flynn do most of the talking, content to watch him work although that was a bit unnerving on its own. He found himself simply watching how the sun danced on Flynn's armor and (now inactive) amber blastia. He had hoped he'd chased away that awful sense of foreboding, or inner turmoil-- whichever it really was, but it seemed to have lingered stubbornly. 

All that Yuri was certain of was the fact that Flynn seemed to be hiding something, and poorly. He'd made a comment about being set up-- and maybe he was right but-- set up for what?

To Flynn's dismay, they got turned away at nearly every known position in the town, and showered in praise for all they'd done sine the town's founding. Before Flynn could protest, they'd been offered a terribly cushy room in the newly finished inn as well as given several bags of fruit and various other food-- but still found themselves without much to do. 

"This isn't at all like I thought it would be. Everyone was so insistent that I come here... I'm so confused." Flynn mused as they hovered awkwardly near the entrance to the inn. "We can't just... retire for the night can we? I guess I'll have to figure out the mix up come morning." 

"I don't think it's a mix up at all. I think we were sent here for a reason, though I'm not sure I agree with it, exactly." Yuri said, and gently nudged Flynn to walk forward. Repede split off as he was often wont to do and curled up near the entrance, quite aware that some discussions required a certain mode of privacy. 

"...Oh. Wait. So they wanted us to be here but... not for business?" Flynn was many things but he had never been terribly good at being cunning or picking up on social clues. Yuri raised his brow as he continued to try to guide the dawdling knight to their room.

"I guess." He answered, leaving any meaning in it to remain cryptic. 

It was hard for him to admit to well... anything. And all of this was nearly too much for him and entirely too _near_. Even after all of the heart-to-hearts he and Flynn had had leading up to the events that had transpired at Tarqaron, he couldn't bring himself to see himself in the same light that the knight did. The idea that the others could so easily see them as something more than friends made him angry-- not because it wasn't true, but because Yuri didn't see himself as the right person for Flynn.

When Yuri glanced over, Flynn had already begun to shuck his armor and cape, stretching his toes as he sat on one of the beds in the room. He found himself smiling fondly, a bit distant as he was still haunted by his own thoughts. Yuri sat down some of the bags and parcels they'd been given before opening a box of pastries and nibbling at a bread roll that was glazed in something sweet. 

"I haven't... really had a chance to see you in a while. So it's not all bad. I'm glad you're here, Yuri. And I'm glad the world doesn't need immediate saving so we have to run off again immediately. I know, I know. You'll never let me live it down if I say so but-- is it really so bad just to take a break and be with each other?" Flynn spoke as he neatly laid his armor out, just as he always had on a trunk at the foot of one of the beds. He came over and joined Yuri at the table he was leaning against, absently feeling the rustic grain of the wood it was made out of with calloused fingertips. 

"You... really don't mind? Man, you're the Commandant now. You can't just run around and do whatever you want. Y'know like... hanging out with wanted criminals." Yuri said. It was unclear as to whether or not he was joking or not. 

"I don't mind. At all. I wish you could be with me more often. I still wish you'd come back to the knights, Yuri." 

"Oh, come _on_. That ship sailed a long damn time ago. Why can't you let it go?" Yuri wasn't angry about it anymore. Once it had been almost a berserk button issue. Now, he simply looked into Flynn's crystal blue eyes, questioning him silently. 

The knight looked away, unable to bear the intensity when Yuri looked at him full-on and sat down in the chair across from him. Flynn reached up and pushed a hand through his messy hair. For a moment, he wished he had as much as Yuri did so he could hide behind it. 

"You have what it takes. You've done more for this world than I have-- I know you'll just fight me on it, but. You know how I feel." He answered slowly tense in his delivery. 

"And I don't want to be a knight. I don't want anything to do with the empire. I'm a member of a _guild_." He retorted, arms crossed over his chest. 

It wasn't like Flynn didn't know all of that-- and it was clear that it was taking a great deal of restraint not to rise to Yuri's bait. He took a deep breath and looked away, teeth gritted. "I only want what's best for you, Yuri. I don't understand what's going through your head. I want you to be happy."

"I _am_ happy."

"You're not! And you think you're good at hiding it but you aren't fooling anybody. Everyone's _worried_ about you." Flynn's sharp retort nearly made Yuri take a step back as though he'd received a physical blow. Instead, he sank into the chair opposite Flynn though he did not look at him. 

"Whether or not I'm happy... happy is temporary. Contentedness is more lasting. And I am content. Things are better now than they have been for ages. I can endure it, no problem." Yuri answered slowly. 

"Oh, stop it. You deserve better than to just endure. You don't have to suffer. Just-- let me _help_ you. Please, Yuri." 

Yuri's brow furrowed as Flynn spoke, and he shook his head preemptively. "I don't get it. What are you talking about? I don't... I don't _need_ anyone's help." 

"Maybe not. I get it, you're comfortable. You have what you need but. But what about your heart? What do you _want_ Yuri? For once, just think about yourself. Let me give you that-- whatever it is." Flynn said earnestly. 

"Woah, woah-- Flynn, stop." He was visibly shaken, almost disturbed by the level of near desperation in the knight's tone. Yuri got to his feet and moved over to where Flynn was sitting only to place his hands on his shoulders. 

"Just. For once in your life _listen_ to me Yuri." 

"I'm trying-- but I don't get what you're asking me. I... What do you want me to say? Why do you _want_ me to want something?" Flynn turned to meet Yuri's eyes then, his own glassy with presumptive tears. 

"I want you to want _me_ Yuri." His voice came out, raw and a bit strangled. 

Yuri stared dumbly at Flynn, trying to catch his eyes though he'd already dropped his head, deflated as though that phrase had taken everything out of him. Slowly, Yuri sank to one knee in front of him, until he could look up into his face. His hands were shaking, heart pounding in his ears as if reality had suddenly ground to a thunderous halt. 

"Flynn... you deserve better." He said firmly. 

"But do you? Do you...? Do you want me... too?" It sounded pathetic, weak and reedy. It was a plea, and the idea of it coming out of Flynn's mouth made Yuri's heart feel like it had been twisted up in knots. 

"It... It doesn't matter. If I do-- I'm not right for you. I'd _kill_ before I came between you and your career and you know it." He said, barely above a whisper. 

"Then do it! It'll be the only thing I ever ask of you. Yuri please, please come back. Stop working yourself to death. I just want you to be near me." Yuri didn't remember seeing Flynn so raw since his father had died, or since they had lost the captain in Ceazontania.

His hands hovered over his best friend's shoulders as though he were suddenly afraid to touch him as though he might shatter if he did. Yuri remained stoic and calm for a few moments before his lip began to quiver, his cheeks and nose flushing pink as he tried to hold back the wave of emotion. 

"Where is this coming from? I... Flynn, I want the best for you, too-- and it's not me. Don't you see that?" Yuri asked, trying to keep his voice steady. 

" _You_ Stop it! You don't get to decide what's best for me. That's for me to decide." Flynn snapped in return. 

Yuri wilted at that, as though he simply hadn't thought of it that way before-- and he drew back further. He just couldn't say the right thing-- just couldn't get it right. 

"Since when? When did you... start to feel... this?" 

"Since when? Since... since? Forever, I don't know. When I thought you were dead I thought I was gonna die. I told them I was focused on work, but I was looking or you. I had to know if you were alive or not. I had to... When I realized nothing else mattered I. I knew..." Flynn looked away again, squeezing his eyes shut as though he really didn't want Yuri to look him in the eye. 

Silent tears finally began to escape as Flynn lost his battle against them, and he drew in a breath. Just as he wished he could just disappear, he felt something warm on his face. Yuri's fingertips moved to brush lightly across his cheeks, through the damp tears as he cupped Flynn's cheeks in his palms. 

"I'm _so_ sorry. I'm so sorry that you had to feel that because of me." Yuri answered after a few moments of tense silence. 

Flynn's eyes blinked open and he tried to hide the quiver in his chin though Yuri's hands holding him there were rather compelling. He reached up to brush his fingers over the backs of the swordsman's knuckles. 

"You've only ever hurt me when you hurt yourself or denied yourself." Flynn said softly. "When you hurt... I hurt. When you're afraid, I'm afraid. When you're happy, I'm happy. You may not see it, but it's always been that way." 

"Always, huh?" He asked, a waver of uncertainty remaining in his voice. 

There were things he could never tell Flynn, and there were things that they could never see eye to eye on. That wouldn't change-- but the thought of being with Flynn soothed the ache of the emptiness in his chest, and he dared to let a little hope shine in, if only for a moment. 

"May I kiss you, Yuri?" The way he asked it was almost stiff-- but that was the knight's endearing nature, wasn't it? 

Yuri didn't answer, but he nodded. He wouldn't deny Flynn. Not this, not _anything_ if he simply asked-- anything he wanted would be his. That was something they seemed to have in common when it came to each other's wants and needs. Yuri's heart pounded in his chest though it was not from fear or any sort of childlike inexperience. It was no such thing. Every awkward encounter they'd had suddenly didn't feel so strange and out of place-- no longer did it feel like it was something to sweep under the rug and forget about. 

Yuri raised himself up on his knees and pressed upward that their lips might meet more easily, and like puzzle pieces carved one-from-the-other, they fit together. Everything about Flynn was familiar; the smell of the sun on his hair and skin, the quality of his breath against Yuri's lips. A hundred nights, he had heard that steady breathing in the bunk beside his-- and before that, when they slept under the stars on the rooftop. He had never bothered to learn something like the name of the star Brave Vesperia, but it had been their guiding light even then. 

His lips parted for Flynn's insistent press forward as he slid from the chair he'd settled in and joined Yuri on the floor. Yuri wound his arms tightly around Flynn's waist and pulled him close. Closeness had always been a word that followed them around, but this was a true manifestation of it, as though they couldn't get close enough, as though there wasn't enough contact no matter what they did.

Flynn broke the kiss first, breathless and with heavily lidded eyes. His gaze was almost mischievous, a wicked sort of confidence having come over him. He was not a terribly worldly person but was less oblivious when it came to matters of physical attraction than Yuri-- but where Yuri was concerned with Flynn, it had always been something else entirely. 

He had all but climbed into Yuri's lap, pushing him back a bit now so that he might straddle his thighs. "Do you remember the night I slipped my hand under the blanket and got you off back when we were in the knights?" 

"Which time exactly Flynn? I lost count of them at some point." Yuri teased back, resting his hands on the blond's hips. 

"I used to think everyone went through a phase like that-- hormones you know? The whole thing with being in the knights and how the social hierarchy works-- but... I think it was just you." He responded lowly. 

"I could never forget the way you taste-- the sounds you made. But I thought it was just better to leave it at that..." Yuri sighed. 

"No: no more secrets." Flynn answered, and he pushed his hands back through Yuri's hair, passing it through his fingertips as though it were lavish spun silk. 

"Okay, okay but-- first-- my foot's asleep." Yuri protested a moment later. 

Flynn chuckled and squirmed to get to his feet before he reached down and helped Yuri up. He shifted to the bed a few moments later, sinking into the thick mattress. Yuri sat close to him, hands grasping for Flynn's as though this had always been normal for them. He gripped the knight's fingers in his own, thumbs brushing over the calluses on his palms. 

"I mean it, Yuri. I... I'm not asking you to change for me. I want you to be who you've always been. But I can't bear for you to go on treating yourself this way. If you won't treat yourself better, I'll do it for you." Flynn said firmly. 

"I never thought that I'd be able to do anything but be a stand-in for someone who would be better for you--"

"Don't say that anymore. Yuri there's no one who is better for me. No one. It's you. It's always been you." 

It was Yuri's turn to shed a few tears now, but he hid behind the curtain of his dark hair. "It's not easy for me, Flynn." 

"Let me help." 

He looked up in time for Flynn's mouth to crash into his again. It was so sudden that Yuri was sure they were going to knock their teeth together painfully, but the shock never came, only Flynn's hands moving over his chest as he slid them down and around him to tug at the folded knot of his obi. 

That was one way to shut Yuri up, that was for sure. 

He squirmed for a moment to loosen the knot while reaching up to run his hands along the part in Flynn's tunic. He unfastened the eye hooks with practiced ease although this uniform was still relatively new to him. The soft fabric of the high-necked black shirt he wore beneath was warm, and he brushed his fingertips along the well-muscled plane of his chest and stomach through it. 

He had shrugged out of his first layer under purposeful fingertips by then, and was quick to lean back and strip out of the shirt keeping Yuri from lavishing him in the touches he wanted. Wanting to keep them on an equal playing field, Yuri quickly peeled himself out of his shirt as well, and went back to tracing the shape of Flynn's chest. There was a scar there now in the center-- still pink and fresh. It was as a sun or a starburst emblazoned across his freckled skin like a painted reminder of Alexei's brutality. 

As if Flynn could sense the pain rising up in Yuri's chest, he reached out and brushed his fingers through his hair. "Does it look bad?" 

"No. I just hate that you got it protecting me." Yuri responded. 

"That's _why_ I've never hated it." Flynn answered, his tone almost smug. 

Gently, he pushed Yuri back, and stopped to admire him before pressing a trail of kisses from the hollow of his throat down to his chest. Yuri thought nothing of it until Flynn pulled back, his brow furrowed as he looked down at Yuri's stomach. 

"This... where did you get it? It's new." Yuri froze at the question-- he could easily gloss it over as nothing, but it made his throat dry and his heart pound as though he'd been caught red-handed with something. 

It was a clean cut obviously made by a blade, and one that would've been potentially deadly if left untreated for long. Flynn's brow furrowed as he looked down at it, tracing his fingertips along the rope of scar tissue. He couldn't recall any time Yuri had been wounded like this so recently, and the fact that there was no sign of stitches meant that it had healed suddenly, likely via healing artes. 

"I uh-- it was. When I fell. I hit some sharp rocks." The mood of the moment seemed to have changed entirely, and Yuri waited with bated breath to see what would come of his weak response. 

"This was made by a blade." Flynn argued, now looking more concerned than before. 

"I mean, yeah I guess? We had just fought Alexei, maybe I took a hit and that was why I ended up falling or something. I don't exactly remember it well." At that, Flynn relaxed a bit. Yuri was right-- they had been through a lot and it was common for peoples' memories of traumatic events to be fuzzy or missing. Flynn himself had been more or less in and out of consciousness during the fight after the blow he'd taken. 

His blue eyes lingered on Yuri's flushed face and then his head dipped down, pressing kisses to the pink scar as though that would be more than enough to smooth it over-- and Yuri was glad to let it be. He reached up and passed his fingers into the thickness of Flynn's hair, nails scratching lightly against his scalp as he encouraged the warmth of his mouth on his skin. It made him chuckle, the huff of breath sending ticklish goosebumps over Yuri's skin. 

Yuri hated lying to Flynn but he told himself it was for his own good. 

The thought retreated from his mind as he focused instead on the playful nature of Flynn's touches and the fact that he was so easily entranced and swept away by everything that he did. Losing himself in Flynn sounded cheesy when he thought about it like that, but it _was_ what he was doing, no denying it. 

He knew in that moment as Flynn's weight pressed down on him and their bodies entwined that Flynn's radiance could wash it all away. Everything that ached, everything that sang of emptiness inside of him would be nothing in the wake of his warmth. 

As the knight's hands peeled Yuri out of the last of his clothing, he gave up any hold on the self-control he obsessed himself with day and night. Carefully controlled breathing gave way to hitched gasps. His hands rested above his head in the pool of inky dark strands that haloed his head as he watched Flynn in rapt contemplation. 

"That's it. Let go. I want you completely bare in front of me-- in both mind and body." Flynn's voice didn't hold any of its usual uncertainty: only the confidence of a man who knew how to lead. It was as though he knew exactly what Yuri had been thinking and why wouldn't he? 

"Flynn..." Yuri spoke tenderly, his nearly demure expression almost more than Flynn could handle. 

He unfastened the front of his trousers, shifting to free his growing erection from their confines as he looked down at Yuri's flushed skin. Mutual handjobs and the awkwardness of youth were one thing-- that was a far cry from the intentional intimacy of this moment. Every time that he had experienced something like this either with Flynn or without him, had been rough and rushed and just a release: little more. It was easy for Yuri to give into his vices because he saw himself as undeserving of anything else. 

\--And certainly not this. Certainly not of the worshipful touches of Flynn's mouth making its way down his torso to the juncture between his legs. Like it was in slow motion he saw it happen as though he were someone else from far away-- but a spike of pleasure yanked him back into the present, a sharp gasp that became a groan leaving him as he gripped the sheets. Flynn's tongue slid slowly, slickly up the underside of his cock and Yuri screwed his eyes shut as though the erotic sight before him was just too much to take in. 

A muffled curse mingled with Flynn's name left him, and he gripped the sheets beneath him even tighter as though that might stop the world from spinning somehow. His sounds offered encouragement, and Flynn took the fullness of Yuri's length into his mouth, bobbing his head as he responded to the slick wetness sliding around him. He relished in the knowledge that he was at least in some way alleviating the inner turmoil that he knew Yuri carried around with him. If it was all he could do for him, then he would do it. 

Yuri whined and reached up to twist his fingers into Flynn's hair, coarse and already messy from all of the times he'd run his hands through it. It was too much all at once, and the heightened emotions he'd been experiencing left him unsure as to whether or not he could really hope to make it through this at all-- 

"You're gonna kill me," He croaked and immediately regretted opening his mouth, as his words dissolved into another moan. 

Flynn disconnected from Yuri's cock with a wet 'pop' and licked his lips as he looked down at him, brows raised and eyes heavily lidded. "Too much for you? Does that mean you want me to stop?" 

He was both teasing and serious in his inquiry-- though he replaced his mouth with his fingers lazily stroking along Yuri's length while he waited for an answer. 

"I. No, I don't know. I want.... more." He said slowly. 

"More, huh?" Flynn mused, eyes now wandering the room. "Do you uh-- have anything...?" 

His stunted question wandered into Yuri's lust-addled mind slowly, and he only frowned at Flynn for several long moments before uttering-- " _Oh_ ,"

With some reluctance, Yuri disentangled himself and turned onto his stomach. He tried not to hiss at the pressure of the mattress against his aching erection-- and to not indulge in it too much. He leaned over the edge of the bed to where his duffel bag had rolled when they'd dropped all of their things and yanked the drawstring lose on it. As he pushed past his spare clothes and other supplies, he drew in abreath at the sensation of Flynn kneeling between his thighs. A smirk painted itself onto his lips as he fumbled and searched, finally pulling loose a bottle of opaque oil. 

Yuri twisted to the side to hand the jar back to Flynn who seemed to be mirroring the smirk on his own lips. He took the jar and absently kneaded at Yuri's ass with his free one. He stopped Yuri when he tried to turn back over. 

"No, stay like that." He encouraged-- a bit of a laugh hidden in his tone. 

Yuri almost pouted, as though he felt Flynn was teasing him-- but the idea was far from unappealing. Instead of fighting it, he leaned forward, arms crossed languidly beneath his head as he arched his back. 

Though he was positioned like this, in what nearly anyone would consider a position lacking dignity-- Yuri knew that in reality, it was all giving Flynn a chance to care for him. Flynn's natural desire to please translated nicely into the heat of the moment and Yuri's desire to relinquish control-- a strange subversion of roles that suited them quite well. 

He closed his eyes as Flynn's hands: strong and deft in their movements went to work. The heat of his fingers easily melted the oil, releasing a delicate fragrance that lingered. From behind, Flynn watched greedily for every tremble and shiver. The sight of Yuri's dark hair draped over his back and shoulders and the quiver of his thighs as he began to press slicked fingers inside of him was more arousing than anything he could think of. It wasn't like he had never had crushes-- even on girls-- but nothing made him feel like this as much as Yuri did. 

The desire that welled up in him as he watched the graceful arch of Yuri's lithe body sprawled out before him was indescribable-- nigh on overwhelming. After everything they had gone through, the secrets and the denial-- every step that they had taken trying stubbornly to resist this attraction-- it all came to this moment. 

"Yuri, I--" He drew in a breath that felt like it couldn't reach deep enough and blamed the light-headedness on the moment. Every curve of his fingers made Yuri's hips twitch and buck as he searched for friction against the sheets.

"Y'what?" Yuri asked gently in response and shifted to try to peer up over his shoulder at least a bit. 

"I don't want this... to be a fling. Or something we never talk about or... pretend never happened. I. I want this. I want _you_." He said slowly, hesitating though it pained him to do so. 

"If... this is what you want-- like, honestly. Really. I'll give it to you. Even though I think you're way out of my league." Yuri hid his face in the crook of his arm, embarrassed-- and pitched forward slightly when he felt Flynn press inside of him a moment later. 

Maybe it'd be a cold day in hell when Yuri stopped saying things like that about himself-- but Flynn was determined to try. He'd lift him up if it was the last thing he did. 

"God you feel so _good_." Flynn's voice was low and husky, nearly a growl as his hands found Yuri's hips and he began to move.

The intrusion was uncomfortable at first-- nothing like being stabbed or kidney punched, mind you-- but it only lasted a few moments before the slickness of the friction between them drove it away. It was replaced with a hum of pleasure that crept up his spine, casting goosebumps over his skin. 

"You always wanted more, didn't you? Did you dream about doing this to me?" Yuri asked through pants and gasps, his face still hidden by his arms and the sheets as though to preserve his dignity. 

As though in retaliation for the snipe, he felt a hand tighten in his hair at the roots and pull back. He snarled and brought his hands down to brace himself against the bed, clicking his tongue in mock annoyance. 

"More than you want to know." Flynn answered lowly, and gave another tug. He seemed to like the sensation of the reaction it caused in Yuri's body-- and Yuri liked it more than he'd admit. 

He genuinely wondered if a part of Flynn wanted to punish him-- again something odd that he didn't entirely hate the idea of, but it was pushed to the back of his mind as those hips snapped more sharply into him. It was enough to rattle him to the bones, any smart-ass remark he could've made left in the strangled cries on his lips. Flynn seemed determined to drive him to fall to pieces and he might just succeed.

The playful snipes were replaced by unfiltered moans and cries, and Flynn found himself enraptured by the sounds. For once, it was something that was unguarded, something that Yuri couldn't mask and turn into something else. It made the coil of heat building inside of him nearly unbearable. The bedframe creaked under the urgency of his movements, but the way Yuri gasped and trembled was all he could think of. 

Yuri twisted his arm beneath himself so that he could reach back between his legs, desperate to alleviate some of the building pressure, and in the silence of his held breaths Flynn almost regretted the choice of position-- and wished he could see Yuri's face as he clearly worked to pull himself over the edge. The dual stimulation and build up was more than he could handle, and he was _nearly_ there when Flynn stopped and gripped his hips, roughly turning him onto his back. 

His whine of protest was lost in the panting and gasping as he blinked blearily up at Flynn's expression while he repositioned himself and gripped Yuri's thigh. 

"I want to see you." He said simply, voice hoarse and raw from exertion. 

Yuri could only nod in response, glad to be at Flynn's mercy-- and hadn't he always been, every step of his life until then? 

Though driven back from the edge, it didn't leave any shadow on the way Yuri could now gaze up at glassy blue eyes, like marbles that held the entire sky. Flynn pushed inside all at once, and leaned down to muffle the sound it drew out of Yuri with his mouth. 

Soft hips pressed into Flynn's angular hips as he brought himself down low, hands buried in Yuri's long hair as he lost himself in erratic thrusts. He struggled to keep his eyes open and not get washed away on a wave of pleasure and lose the moment-- but everything was blurring together. He could feel Yuri's knuckles brushing against his stomach as they moved, stroking himself in tandem with the knight's strong thrusts. 

"Cum for me, Yuri." A soft curse fell from his lips in response, as though the thought of Flynn saying something like that was beyond erotic-- he couldn't even process it. 

Obedient for once in his life, Yuri's muscles wound tighter, the muscles in his thighs and stomach trembling as he peaked. He bit into his bottom lip to keep from crying out though it was nigh on impossible as Flynn bore down on him, thrusts suddenly reaching a pace that was nigh-on-vicious. Another wave of hot, sticky release splashed between them in the wake of the frantic motions, leaving Yuri's lips agape. Several keening cries-- mangled syllables-- accompanied the moment that his partner finally buried himself fully inside of him, frozen in the throes of his orgasm. Overstimulated and twitching, Yuri clung to Flynn as he rode it out and tried desperately to catch his breath. 

He stayed tangled up inside of Yuri for as long as he could, hands roaming gently over each others' hair and faces in the quiet afterglow. As Flynn waited for his mental faculties to return to him, he watched Yuri's dark eyelashes flutter with his heartbeat. 

"Stay with me." Yuri smiled gently at Flynn's soft request and pressed a trail of kisses to his shoulder. 

"I already told you I would." He held back the desire to reiterate that he wasn't worthy of such a position in Flynn's life, having learned that he'd definitely just get a rebuttal. 

"I want to believe it." He answered. 

"Don't you trust me?" 

"I do. I trust you to... be Yuri. And sometimes that scares me."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Yuri teased and gave a mostly playful shove in retaliation. 

"I'm serious, Yuri." Flynn said, lifting his head to catch Yuri's eyes with his own. 

"...I know." He answered, a bit more sober in his tone. 

"I love you." Flynn stated matter-of-factly. No frills, just the clear, honest statement. 

Yuri watched his face for a moment, could see fear creeping in with every moment he hesitated. The words themselves were foreign on his lips, as though they had never been formed by his tongue before. "I love you too, Flynn." 

They felt as though they weighed tons-- but he knew they weren't a lie. Maybe that was why they were so heavy. 

He shifted and nestled into the crook of Flynn's arm, his head resting on his shoulder. It was strange that that had been what brought their pillow talk to a close, though he wondered what it meant. It was a strange sort of contentedness that he had never known on its own before.

Drifting off to sleep was easy and for once, not plagued with worries and regrets. He slept soundly, skin sticking to skin in the tepid air of their room. Yuri did not awake until the familiar sound of Repede barking woke him up. Flynn was already on his feet, hopping into his trousers and shirt-- Yuri struggled a bit more, he was so sleep addled. 

By the time he was sitting up, Flynn had crossed back to him and pushed a hand back through his tangled hair. "Don't worry about it. I'll go check." 

He pressed a kiss to the crown of Yuri's head, and the man in question gratefully collapsed back into bed. 

Flynn returned a few minutes later with Repede on his heels carrying a package. He turned it over a few times, looking perplexed. Yuri squinted at him, too curious to be dismissive. 

"It's addressed to me. From... Rita Mordio?" 

Repede wasn't new to carrying packages and messages by any means-- but this one was certainly strangely timed. Yuri propped himself up on his elbows and watched as Flynn took out a small dagger, company issue-- and carefully cut the ties and brown paper on it. He opened the small box while Yuri looked on, sure it was going to be something famously _weird_ coming from her-- but all that was there was something oblong wrapped in cloth and a letter. 

Flynn unwrapped the cloth to reveal a dagger; standard issue just like the one that he'd used to open the package in the first place. It was partially rusted, the blade obviously having been exposed to the elements for some time. Flynn frowned, confused, and turned to the letter while Yuri's sense of panic from the night before returned. 

He was wide awake now, heart hammering in his chest as he numbly got into his pants at the very least, though he felt slightly frozen, unable to move. 

Flynn was quiet as he read the enclosed letter and lifted the blade to examine it more closely. There was dried blood in the space between the blade and hilt that not even sea breeze and rain had managed to wash away. He turned it once more to look at the pommel, where there were a set of initials stamped. Flynn looked as though he might drop the thing or faint-- as if his blood had run cold.

Yuri knew he should break the silence, but if he said anything-- anything at _all _\-- he might very well give it all away.__

__"What is this...? Why? What does this mean? She found this at Zaude. I... I _know_ this dagger. I know whose it is." He stammered uselessly. _ _

__Yuri looked away. "Must've dropped it." He said dryly._ _

__"What really happened while I was out of it, Yuri? Why aren't you telling me the truth?"_ _

__Yuri didn't answer-- only stood up to walk away._ _


	2. confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The truth about what happened at Zaude comes out-- and Flynn moves to confront the culprit.

Yuri's attempt to flee was short lived. He had barely made it three steps from the bed before Flynn had leapt up and grabbed his arm, reeling him back in sharply. He clicked his tongue, immediately defensive as Flynn's eyes shone at him sharper than any dagger that had ever pierced his skin. His own gaze remained on the dagger in question. If he let his mind wander, he could feel the impact of it tearing into him and the sudden weakness overcoming him as he fell. 

"Yuri, tell me the truth. What. Happened." 

He wilted slightly, sighing as he looked away, trying to ignore Flynn's vice grip on him for a moment. 

"It's not really that big of a deal. Story's still the same. The giant core fell... separating me from the others. I guess your brigade was further to the side and so closer _to_ me where I ended up. Or something. Look, she just dropped it. Let it go." Yuri said, tight-lipped.

"How did you know it was "hers" then?" Flynn asked lowly, tone dangerous and dark. 

"I..."

" _Did Sodia do this to you_?" His hand left Yuri's wrist to graze the scar he'd questioned him about the night before. It took effort not to pull away. 

"She was in the right." Yuri said finally. "I was... _am_ \-- a danger to you and your career. To everything you've worked for."

" _What_?" Flynn looked as though he might very well faint at any moment, as though his entire worldview had been upset all at once. 

"I told you-- she did it for you. To protect you. From me." Yuri said, his tone slightly stunted. 

"W-W-wha-- she. She tried to kill you. She..." Flynn seemed to have lost the ability to form sentences altogether in that moment so torn between disbelief and incoherent rage he was. 

"Flynn..." Yuri hated that he was about to argue in defense of someone as pathetic as Sodia was-- but he didn't much have the chance. 

"You would've died if... if Duke hadn't found you. god, you. I--" His disjointed rambling faded out as he covered his face in his hands. 

Yuri paced, his jaw set and teeth gritted. "This is why I didn't want you to know. It's not like she'd betray you. She's completely dedicated to you and what's best for you even if she's... pretty shitty at upholding it." 

"No. This will not stand. This... this is unforgivable." Yuri came back to where Flynn was sitting at the foot of the bed, Repede sitting tensely at his feet. He reached out and raised the Knight's chin with his fingertips. 

"I'm still a criminal. A murderer. You can't deny that." It was a fact-- one that was indisputable. 

"I don't care! I..." 

"You just ignore it and pretend it's not real, right? How else can you reconcile your duty and your ties with me? There isn't an easy answer, Flynn. Guess you just get along well with murderers by nature." He finished darkly. 

There were no words for the betrayal he felt-- but he knew why Rita had told him. Yuri was always protecting everyone else. No one was ever allowed to protect him in turn. 

"So tell me. Are you going to force her to face justice and let me get off scot free?" Yuri demanded, trying to point out the hypocrisy of it. 

Flynn looked surprisingly calm, his hands resting on his thigh as he looked down at his bare feet. "No. No, I won't." 

Yuri's brow knit slightly as he watched him, wondering what exactly he was planning. 

"You're right. I have every obligation to take you in. And to also make Sodia face repercussions for what she did. I am the Commandant of the Imperial knights. It's my right to offer concessions as I see fit while out in the field." He went quiet for a few moments. "Sodia will be stripped of her position. It will be handled quietly. However, you will be brought to trial for the murders of Cumore and Ragoh. Unless you agree directly to my terms." 

There was a sense of panic welling up in him again, but Yuri wasn't one to run and he'd agreed to face this dead on. He knew he had to accept the consequences no matter what the situation called for. 

"...Your terms?" He finally managed, throat dry. 

"Yes." Flynn answered curtly. 

"And what would those be?" 

"You'll come back to the knights as my second in command and as a captain of your own brigade." He said simply. 

"What? I'm... I am _not_ captain material." He said, voice rising in pitch as he protested. 

"That's unfortunate. We're suddenly and mysteriously a little short handed though, so I guess we'll have to make due." Flynn responded stubbornly. 

"I'm not cut out for the knights," Yuri complained weakly, using the same defense he always did. 

"You're better suited for getting convicted for the murder of two nobles, but I'm trying to help you avoid that, Yuri." Flynn snapped in order to make his intentions clear. 

Yuri had tried to force his hand by invoking the ugly dichotomy that came with a knight's duty only to end up painting himself into a corner. He wasn't exactly excited at the thought of being put to death-- he wasn't suicidal by any means despite his self-deprecating nature. He gritted his teeth and set his jaw but there wasn't much that he could do. There was only one choice that he could make without risking completely forcing Fynn outside of his moral code. 

A "set up" was right...

"So those are my choices. Likely execution or..." He trailed off bitterly. 

"A good career that most people respect," Flynn answered haughtily. 

"Right." 

Challengingly, they locked eyes for several long moments. Neither of them would back down-- that much was clear.

The frustration and embarrassment that his little secret had gotten out felt like a bucket of cold water dumped down his back. The irony of the fact was lost on him though-- that he was being ridiculous for trying to protect the person who had literally tried to kill him. He'd just wanted everything to remain no-fuss: to go on like it always had. And as much as he detested Sodia, he'd thought she was good for Flynn's career at the very least. 

"So, is that your answer?" Flynn asked cooly-- every bit the Commandant that he was meant to be. 

"It's not exactly much of a choice... but I'll go with the version with less chance of death and imprisonment" Yuri answered dryly.

In the tense quiet Flynn began to dress, donning his armor with practiced precision while Yuri remained frozen in his own mind. Only at the sound of Flynn's sword on his belt-- and the presence of the dagger offered as evidence in his hand did Yuri come back to himself and try to assess the situation.

"H-Hey, what are you gonna do with that?" He asked.

"--Get a confession," Flynn answered simply, his face a porcelain mask. 

Yuri wondered when he'd learned such a skill. When they were young, Flynn had struggled to hide even the most basic of emotion-- now, although he seethed with a righteous anger, it seemed _terrifyingly_ ice cold. 

As he blew past Yuri like a storm Repede followed, barking. 

It only took him a few moments to collect himself and throw his clothes on before following at a trot. Flynn wasn't a terribly irrational person (that was Yuri's job,) but when he was really angry and righteous at that-- he could be a force of nature. He knew he needed to focus, but he was lost in the past: in memories of the day that they had finally found and put an end to the man responsible for the death of Flynn's father. 

He'd threatened Yuri's life in recompense for the ones his blade had taken-- but Yuri knew better than anyone that when Flynn reached his limit he was just as capable of vigilantism. 

The streets of Aurnion were still mostly dirt paths, though some had been cobbled and others had walkways and stairs built out of logs dug into them. Despite the changes the town had undergone, Yuri knew the way. He could hear a commotion already, and part of him was terrified that Flynn had just lost it altogether--

Sodia stood near the entrance to Aurnion HQ, her hands clutched to her chest. Witcher was nearby, mouth agape as he clearly had no idea whose side he should be on. Flynn brandished Sodia's lost dagger at her, shouting and snapping, though Yuri couldn't quite make out what he was saying yet. 

He picked up the pace and made the rest of the trip at a run. Yuri skidded to a stop and Repede appeared out of the crowd on his heels, yipping and barking as he moved forward in an attempt to diffuse the situation. 

"That's right. You can't show me your dagger because I have it right here." Flynn snapped. 

Yuri emerged from the crowd behind him and Sodia's searching eyes swept over him before she nearly collapsed, what color was left in her face draining from it. Yuri wasn't sure if he was angry at Rita for having meddled in this, or glad to finally have the haunting knowledge off of his shoulders. Something about having someone stand up for him-- well it wasn't a bad feeling by any means. 

Flynn followed Sodia's gaze to see what had made her crumble so entirely and felt rather confident in his own assumptions. 

"You will return to the capital and turn in your sword and uniform," Flynn announced. "I'll pursue this no further if I never have to look at you again." 

Sodia had begun to weep, though she made no attempt to explain herself. Flynn dropped the dagger at her feet and turned to storm into HQ. The small crowd, dumbfounded, began to disperse. Yuri stood rooted to the spot. 

He understood Flynn's feelings. They were incredibly personal-- but lacking a bit of self-awareness. What Sodia had done... they had done also, in their own situations. Only those in power were able to make the decisions in regard to who would be punished and who wouldn't be. He hated it, but he couldn't blame Flynn for his reaction. Yuri couldn't understand why he was worth the fuss, especially when Sodia's actions had all been a misguided attempt to do what was best for him. But he knew he likely would've done worse in Flynn's position. They found themselves consistently putting each other above even the most important of things, in front of and above their own moral codes that they would not alter for _anyone_ , usually. 

Yuri found himself numbly approaching her, his expression one of concern. 

"What do you want?" She breathed. 

"Go back to the capital. If... if you have nowhere to go, the people at the inn in the lower quarter will help you out. Just tell them I sent you, okay?" He said quietly. 

"I don't want your help!" She shouted, and Yuri stepped back when she picked up the dagger that laid between them. 

"Alright. Fine." His hands came up in a gesture of surrender-- or to show his intention of being non-threatening. 

She went quiet as he tried to remove himself from the situation-- before finally speaking again, head still bowed: "Protect Flynn. Please." 

"Like I said before. You don't have to ask me to do that. I'm gonna do it anyway." Yuri didn't look at her again as he turned away, Repede close behind. 

"At every turn, I kept hopin' you were going to turn out to be the right one for Flynn. But you're just not." And now it meant that he had to take the job that he didn't want. 

Yuri hated that he had the instinct to apologize to the person who had tried to kill him, honestly-- and for the sake of his own mental state resigned himself to walk away and leave her there. But now, he had to face Flynn and whatever mess of himself he had made. 

He hesitated to make his way into Aurnion HQ where Flynn had gone-- he wasn't sure how to deal with the emotional aftermath of all of this. It was a good part of why he'd kept it hidden for so long in the first place. Yuri had worked for years to overcome the nagging consistency that meant that he would eventually give into the weakness in his heart. He insisted on going his own way in part only because he knew that being too close to Flynn would make him weak to his every pain and struggle. 

When he walked in and found him his face in his hands, Yuri's heart broke into a million pieces. Flynn had trusted Sodia-- but he couldn't reconcile with what she'd done. They had had to kill on behalf of the Empire before; that came with being a soldier. But the truth of the matter was that Sodia had tried to take away the one person that Flynn couldn't do without. He knew he was guilty of personal bias in this situation-- he knew that, but he couldn't change it either. 

He didn't know what to say, and half feared that if he came closer he'd be pushed away, but he did it anyway. Yuri bent to wrap his arms around Flynn's shoulders and was surprised to have him return the embrace. 

"It's over." He said quietly. 

"What do you mean?" Yuri asked gently. 

"I'm done with this darkness hanging over us. And now that... all of the secrets have come to light it can finally start to disperse. There are no more secrets... Right?" Flynn asked, rubbing his eyes with the unarmored underside of his gloves. 

"Nothing that I can think of. Certainly nothing world-changing, at least." Yuri said, hoping it was reassuring. 

Everyone was always talking about how Flynn never rested-- about how he and Yuri were both working themselves into the ground. He had never realized that the simple existence of barriers like this-- could add to the weight on his shoulders. All of these years, Yuri had thought that his act of repeatedly isolating himself and removing himself from Flynn's path as though he were an obstacle and not the destination was helping him, not hindering him. 

"I've... I've been so wrong about. A lot of things." Yuri managed after a few moments of silence. 

Flynn looked up at him, relaxing back in his wooden chair as he searched Yuri's face. The sight of his eyes, red and raw from tears tore at Yuri's heart. 

"I thought I was protecting you from myself. But in the end, I was just... starving your heart. I was stubbornly making decisions for you instead of letting you have some say in everything." 

Grey eyes rested on the rough-hewn wood of the floors, now mostly polished just from the many feet that had passed over it. He edged closer, and Flynn reached out to link their fingers together. The fact that he was being more openly affectionate wasn't a bad thing, but it was going to take some getting used to for Yuri. 

"We're both supposed to be on vacation." He broke the silence and tightened his grip on Flynn's hand before tugging him gently to his feet. 

Like that, Yuri took the despondent Commandant and lead him through the streets, ignoring any looks they got or anyone they might know on their way. Repede walked along with them until they returned to their room at the inn, which had been freshened up, the bed made in their absence. 

"Yuri..." Flynn spoke up for the first time as he sank onto the edge of the bed and began to once more strip out of his armor. 

"Yeah? There we go-- I don't wanna see you wearing that junk for the rest of the week." Yuri said sternly, though really the tone didn't suit him very well. 

Flynn looked at him, perplexed-- as though he didn't really understand. "It's.. my armor." 

"We're on vacation." He said firmly. "It's over now, remember? Now... it's just going forward. Right?" 

Flynn took a deep breath past the pain, past the confusion and he nodded. "Right."


End file.
